?
Composite Operational Excellence Score (0-100) — average percentile rank across 7 dimensions in three sub-scores: Reliability (capacity factor, forced outage days, B2B avg streak), Efficiency (fuel utilization, refuel duration), and Discipline (startup duration, scram count). 5-year window. Higher = more operationally excellent. Click to see the full breakdown.
Excellence
ranked of 93
Subscribers
?
Current reactor power level from the most recent NRC daily report.
100%
Power
ONLINE
?
Days of continuous operation since the last outage ended. Ranked against all operating units.
209
Current Run
days
#47 of 95
Mid Quartile
?
Longest recorded period of continuous operation between outages.
703
Record Run
days
#40 of 95
Mid Quartile
?
Breaker-to-Breaker runs — continuous operation exceeding the cycle-adjusted threshold (592 days for this 24-month cycle unit) with no trips to 0% power.
3
B2B Runs
#66 of 87
Mid Quartile
?
Lifetime capacity factor: average power level across all recorded days (100% = always at full power). Ranked against all NRC-tracked units.
86.4%
Capacity Factor
#84 of 95
Bottom Quartile
?
Net electricity actually generated over the most recent 12 months reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (Form EIA-923). These are authoritative actuals, not an estimate.
9.79 TWh
Net Generation
EIA-923 · 12 mo to 2026-06
?
Community rating score (Bayesian-adjusted). Based on 43 votes. Ranked against all rated facilities.
54.4
Rating
43 votes
#37 of 97
Mid Quartile
?
Total NRC-reported scram events (emergency reactor shutdowns). Ranked fleet-wide — fewer scrams = better rank.
5
Scrams
#25 of 94
Mid Quartile
?
Years since commercial operation began. License remaining: 17.3 years.
41.7
Operating Age
years
17.3 yrs remaining
Reactor Status Timeline
Online NRC data, Mon to Fri ? Actual daily reactor status from NRC reports (Mon to Fri) and the current state. What is coming -- the utility's published Scheduled outage and NukeWorker's model Projection -- is part of a subscription. Colored by status. How far ahead you can see depends on your plan.OnlineReduced PowerPower AscensionScram⚡Scram (reactor trip)
Estimated reactivity remaining in Columbia Generating Station's current fuel cycle, shown as a stylized fuel rod that drains as the cycle progresses. The cycle starts when the unit returns to power after its most recent refueling outage, and the gauge represents the fraction of that cycle's typical effective full-power days (EFPD) still available. Days at less than 100% power burn fuel proportionally — so a unit with significant downtime (high burn deficit) drains slower and ends with MORE reactivity left, giving operators margin to coast down (extend the cycle by reducing power) instead of refueling on the calendar. The dashed red line near the bottom marks the rough industry coastdown threshold (~15% remaining). Cycle target is the unit's median recent cycle length. Source: NRC daily reactor status reports cross-referenced against scheduled refuel outage history.
Fuel Burn Down Cycle since Jun 17, 2025
Columbia Generating Station is 451 days into its current fuel cycle with an estimated 36.7% of its fuel left. Its typical cycle runs about 685 days.
Fresh — 100%
Refuel — 0%
36.7% remaining
Mid-cycle
Cycle progress
451 / 685 days
EFPD remaining
251 days
Effective burn
434 EFPD
Burn deficit
17.1 FPD
Columbia Generating Station is mid-cycle with healthy reactivity. Operators have flexibility to defer or advance the next refuel as needed.
This unit has accumulated 17.1 FPD of unburned fuel from cycle downtime — that's free margin to extend the cycle if operators want.
This unit has accumulated 17.1 FPD of unburned fuel from cycle downtime — that's free margin to extend the cycle if operators want.
Historical Burn-Down (13 completed cycles)
Avg refuel point
8.0% remaining
Avg refuel (3yr)
5.5% remaining
Deepest burn
2.7% (2013-06 → 2015-05)
Most margin
17.2% (2011-09 → 2013-05)
Last 5 cycles at refuel
6%
2015-06
4%
2017-06
4%
2019-06
3%
2021-06
6%
2023-06
~8% coastdown (this unit)
Operational Excellence Score Subscribers
Columbia Generating Station is rated 0 to 100 on how well it actually runs, scored against every other operating reactor in the US fleet from its own operating record. Subscribers see the score, the three sub-scores behind it, and each of the seven measured inputs.
- This unit's composite score and fleet rank
- Reliability, Efficiency and Discipline sub-scores
- All seven measured inputs, with fleet percentiles
- Rank against comparable units, not just the fleet
- Three-year, five-year and lifetime windows
- Five-year trend, and every other operating US reactor
Included with every outage subscription and with NukeWorker Gold membership. Trading the outage rather than working it? The same record, cut by power market, is on NukeGryd.
Capacity Factor (365-Day)
100%
Current
97.9%
365-Day Avg
#50
of 94 plants
Min: 0%
Max: 100%
10 days <80%
Breaker-to-Breaker Runs 3 runs
Breaker-to-breaker runs measure continuous operation between refueling outages using a cycle-adjusted threshold (90% of cycle length minus RFO duration). An active streak means the unit has been running continuously since the last refueling with no trips to 0% power.
Columbia Generating Station has logged 3 breaker-to-breaker runs, continuous stretches from one refueling to the next with no trip to zero power. Its longest ran 691 days, and its runs average 680 days.
691
Best Run (days)
R24 (2019-06-18) → R25 (2021-05-09)
680
Avg Run (days)
All Runs
| 2023-06-19 | 2025-04-12 | 663 days | R26 → R27 |
| 2019-06-18 | 2021-05-09 | 691 days | R24 → R25 |
| 2013-06-23 | 2015-05-10 | 686 days | R21 → R22 |
Scram History 5 events since 2011
Automatic and manual reactor scram (emergency shutdown) events reported to the NRC since 2011. Includes event dates, trip type, and average recovery time. Click the title to view the full fleet scram dashboard.
Columbia Generating Station has recorded 5 reactor scrams, or emergency shutdowns, since 2011 (2 automatic, 3 manual). On average the unit was back to full power about 13.4 days after each trip.
Outage Duration Trend
?Scheduled refueling outage durations over time. Green bars are below average, yellow near average, red above. Dashed line shows the plant's historical average. Shorter outages mean better execution.
Columbia Generating Station has completed 14 scheduled refueling outages on record, averaging 54 days each. The most recent, in Apr 2025, ran 63 days.
Power History (12-Month)
?Daily power output as a percentage of rated capacity over the past 365 days. Green segments indicate full power (90%+), yellow shows reduced output, and red indicates significant power reductions or shutdowns.
Over the past 12 months Columbia Generating Station has run at an average of 97.9% of rated power. On the chart, green stretches are full-power running and dips toward zero mark reduced output or outages.
Outage Days by Year
?Total days spent in outage each year, split by scheduled refueling (blue) and forced/unplanned (red). Lower totals indicate better reliability and outage execution. Hover for details.
Across its recorded history, Columbia Generating Station has spent 758 days in scheduled refueling outages and 219 days in forced or unplanned outages. Taller bars mark the years with the most downtime.
Facility Statistics
Key performance and lifecycle metrics calculated from NRC operational data. Includes operating age, construction timeline, capacity factor, efficiency, generation totals, and reliability records.
Columbia Generating Station has operated for about 41.7 years and averaged a 86.4% lifetime capacity factor, generating roughly 240.5 TWh of electricity. Its longest unbroken run reached 703 days.
Lifecycle & Tenure
Operating Age: 41.7 Yrs
Build Time: 11.7 Yrs
Lic. Remaining: 17.3 Yrs
Production & Power
Lifetime CF: 86.4%
Efficiency: 32.8%
Generated: 240.5 TWh
Reliability & Outages
Record Run: 703 Days
Refuelings: 14
Avg Startup: 10.8 Days
NukeWorker Member Ratings 43 votes
Community ratings from NukeWorker members. Vote to share your experience working at this facility. Score uses a Bayesian average that accounts for vote count — facilities with few votes are pulled toward the fleet average, so rankings reflect confidence, not just raw percentages.
Above Average
16 (37%)
Average
16 (37%)
Below Average
11 (25%)
Facility Map
Interactive satellite map showing the facility's geographic location. Marker color indicates current status: green for online, red for offline, orange for reduced power. Click the header to open in Google Maps satellite view.
46.4707, -119.332
Location & Contact
Physical address, phone number, and website for this facility. Use the directions link to get driving directions via Google Maps.
Phone:
(509) 372-5000
Website:
http://www.energy-northwest.com/
Per Diem Rates FY 2026
Per diem covers lodging and meals & incidental expenses (M&IE) for government and contractor travel near this facility. Rates are from GSA for FY 2026.
$130
Lodging/Night
$86
M&IE/Day
$216
Total/Day
Richland / Pasco, Benton / Franklin County, WA
Unemployment Benefits WA
Maximum state unemployment insurance benefits for WA. Actual benefits depend on your earnings history and may be lower than the maximum. Data as of Jan 2026.
$1,152
Max Weekly
26
Max Weeks
$29,952
Max Total
7-day waiting period before benefits begin
Jobs at Columbia 8 active
Active job listings posted for this specific facility on the NukeWorker job board. Click a job title for details, or the header to see them all.
Photos
Photos of this facility from the NukeWorker photo gallery. Click the header or any photo to browse the full album.
Ownership & Construction
The utility or company that owns and operates the facility, the architect-engineer responsible for plant design, and the primary construction contractor. Click names to view all facilities by that entity on the map.
Publicly Traded
No — Washington State joint operating agency
Technical Specs
Reactor design specifications including type (PWR/BWR), containment design, nuclear steam supply system manufacturer, thermal and electrical power ratings, and current operational status.
Reactor Type:
BWR
Containment:
BWR-MARK 2
NSS Supplier:
GE 5
Thermal Power:
3544 MWt
Net Capacity:
1163 MWe
Efficiency:
32.8%
Status:
Operating
Licensing
NRC licensing history including docket number, license type and number, construction permit date, operating license issuance, commercial operation date, license renewal, and expiration date.
Docket #:
05000397
License #:
NPF-21
License Type:
OL-FP
Const. Permit:
1973-03-19
Operating Lic:
1984-04-13
Commercial Op:
1984-12-13
License Renewed:
2012-05-22
License Exp:
2043-12-20
Market & Region
EIA market and grid-region classifications: NERC reliability region, U.S. Census region, balancing authority responsible for grid operations, and whether the unit operates as a rate-regulated utility or a competitive merchant generator. Hover any value for the full name.
NERC Region:
WECC
— Western Electricity Coordinating Council
Census Region:
PACC
— Pacific Contiguous (OR, WA, CA)
Balancing Authority:
BPAT
— Bonneville Power Administration Transmission
Market Structure:
Regulated
— Rate-regulated utility (cost-of-service pricing)